Mineral fines separation machine

Abstract

A mineral slurry processing machine for recovering gold from raw fines. An elongated, rigid skid supports a frame plate coupled thereto by vibration transmitting bearings. An inclined processing ramp is adjustably mounted to the plate. An endless belt entrained over the ramp for continual rotation is equipped with a specially grooved working surface which helps separate gold from the slurry. A plurality of similar, regularly spaced apart grooves are cut into the exposed working surface of the belt, and the angulated configuration of the grooves facilitates particle separation and recovery. The belt is divided into a fine receiving region and an adjacent gold conveying region. Each groove includes a first segment which is "angled" with respect to the direction of travel of the belt, and a second segment which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the belt. Separate fine receiving and gold conveying regions thus exist. An elongated divider plate disposed above the belt isolates the separate fine receiving and gold conveying regions. The ramp receives preclassified fines which are dropped upon the continually moving belt through a distributor plate. Desired gold particles are collected on the belt within the grooves. A slurry output of unwanted barren waste results at the lower end of the ramp. The concentrated gold bearing fine is conveyed to the upper portion of the ramp, where it is extracted from the belt and accumulated in a suitable hopper. During operation the ramp is vigorously shaken by an associated vibrator system. The concentrated slurry produced by the machine is economically suitable for purification by conventional laboratory techniques.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fine separation machine for recovering heavy metal ores such as gold or the like from a previously de-rocked, mineral-bearing slurry, the separation machine comprising: an inclined ramp comprising an elevated upper end, a lower end spaced apart from said upper end, a continuous belt entrained for rotation about said ramp between said lower and upper ends thereof;   means for rotating said belt;   said belt comprising a plurality of similar, generally parallel and regularly spaced-apart, cooperating grooves, each of said grooves comprising first portions oriented at an acute angle relative to the direction of travel of said belt and second portions interconnected with said first portions but oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the direction of travel of said belt;   a divider plate oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to said ramp and generally dividing and separating said first portions of said grooves from said second portions of said grooves to respectively define feed and recovery belt regions;   means for delivering said slurry to said machine by applying it to said belt within said feed region established by said grooves; and,   whereby unwanted materials including sands and water move down said belt means for discharge at the lower end of said ramp means, and concentrated gold-bearing fines are concurrently deflected to said recovery region of said belt for recovery.   
     
     
       2. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 1 including a separate source of fresh water near said ramp upper end establishing a flow of water down said ramp so that water continually flows down said belt notwithstanding belt rotation. 
     
     
       3. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 2 including: a hopper for recovering concentrated fines, said hopper disposed beneath the upper end of said ramp; and,   a spray system for washing said belt proximate said hopper to remove ore fines from said belt and recover them in said hopper.   
     
     
       4. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 3 including a shaker system for vibrating said ramp to aid in the separation and purification of fines. 
     
     
       5. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 3 including: an elongated, rigid, supportive skid adapted to be disposed upon a supporting surface such as a suitably configured flat spot on the ground or the like;   a frame for mounting said ramp, said frame coupled to said skid with bearings to permit vibrations;   couplings securing said ramp to said frame so as to define a generally acute angle between said ramp and said frame, said couplings permitting adjustments to the height of said ramp to facilitate variations in said acute angle; and,   a shaker for vibrating said frame and thus said ramp and belt during machine operation.   
     
     
       6. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for delivering said slurry comprises spreader plate means for evenly distributing incoming slurry to be processed upon said belt. 
     
     
       7. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 6 including: a separate source of fresh water near said ramp upper end establishing a flow of water down said ramp so that water continually flows down said belt notwithstanding belt rotation;   a hopper for recovering concentrated fines, said hopper disposed adjacent the upper end of said ramp;   means for washing said belt to remove ore fines from said belt and recover them in said hopper; and,   a shaker system for vibrating said ramp to aid in the separation and purification of fines.   
     
     
       8. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 7 including: an elongated, rigid, supportive skid adapted to be disposed upon a supporting surface such as a suitably configured flat spot on the ground or the like;   a frame for mounting said ramp, said frame coupled to said skid with bearings to permit vibrations;   couplings securing said ramp to said frame so as to define a generally acute angle between said ramp and said frame, said couplings permitting adjustments to the height of said ramp to facilitate variations in said acute angle; and,   a shaker for vibrating said frame and thus said ramp and belt during machine operation.   
     
     
       9. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 8 wherein said bearings are configured to permit horizontal vibrations to said ramp but to prohibit up and down vibrations. 
     
     
       10. An ore recovery machine for processing mineral bearing deposits of sand or the like to recover heavy metal ores such as gold, the machine comprising: trough means for continually receiving a previously de-rocked slurry comprised of water and mineral bearing fines to be processed;   inclined ramp means for receiving fines from said trough means and for thereafter processing same, said ramp means comprising an elevated upper end, a lower end spaced apart from said upper end, belt means entrained for rotation over said ramp means and extending between said upper and lower ends, and motor means for rotating said belt means;   said belt means having an outer, exposed operational surface moving from the lower end of said ramp means to the upper end during belt means rotation, said belt means operative surface comprising a plurality of generally parallel and regularly spaced apart grooves, each of said grooves comprising: a first portion oriented at a substantially acute angle relative to the direction of travel of said belt means, the first groove portions collectively defining a feed portion of said operational belt surface; and   a second portion interconnected with said first portion but oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the direction of travel of said belt means, portion, the second groove portions collectively defining a recovery portion of said operational belt surface;     divider plate means extending from said trough means down said ramp means a substantial portion of the length of said ramp means for limiting initial input of said fines to said feed portion of said operational belt surface, said baffle means oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to said ramp means and generally dividing and separating said feed portion of said belt means from said recovery portion thereof;   means for applying fresh water near said ramp means upper end above said trough means so that water continually flows down said operational belt surface notwithstanding belt means rotation; and,   whereby unwanted materials including sands and water move down said belt means for discharge at the lower end of said ramp means, and concentrated gold-bearing fines are concurrently deflected to said recovery portion of said belt surface for conveyance to said upper end of said ramp means for recovery.   
     
     
       11. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 10 including: hopper means for recovering concentrated fines, said hopper means disposed beneath the upper end of said ramp means; and,   means for spraying said belt means proximate said hopper means to remove ore from said belt thereby cleaning same.   
     
     
       12. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 11 including shaker means for vibrating said ramp means to aid in the separation and purification of fines. 
     
     
       13. The machine as defined in claim 10 including: elongated, rigid skid means adapted to be disposed upon a supporting surface such as an appropriate spot on the ground or the like;   frame means for mounting said ramp means, said frame means coupled to said skid means with bearing means to permit vibrations;   means for coupling said ramp means to said frame means so as to define a generally acute angle between said ramp means and said frame means, said coupling means permitting adjustments to the height of said ramp means to facilitate variations in said acute angle; and,   shaker means for vibrating said frame means and thus said ramp means during machine operation.   
     
     
       14. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 13 wherein said bearings are configured to permit horizontal vibrations to said ramp but to prohibit up and down vibrations. 
     
     
       15. A gold recovery machine for processing sands bearing fine gold deposits to recover gold, the machine comprising: means for continually receiving a previously de-rocked slurry comprised of water and gold-bearing fines to be processed;   inclined ramp means for receiving fines from said last mentioned means and for thereafter processing same, said ramp means comprising an elevated upper end, a lower end spaced apart from said upper end, belt means entrained for rotation over said ramp means and extending between said upper and lower ends, and means for rotating said belt means;   said belt means having an outer, exposed operational surface moving from the lower end of said ramp means to the upper end during belt means rotation, said belt means operative surface comprising a plurality of generally parallel and regularly spaced apart grooves, each of said grooves comprising: a first portion oriented at a first angle relative to the direction of travel of said belt means, the first groove portions collectively defining a feed portion of said operational belt surface; and   a second portion interconnected with said first portion but oriented at a second angle with respect to the direction of travel of said belt means, portion, the second groove portions collectively defining a recovery portion of said operational belt surface;     divider plate means extending from said trough means down said ramp means a substantial portion of the length of said ramp means for limiting initial input of said fines to said feed portion of said operational belt surface, said divider plate means oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to said ramp means and generally dividing and separating said feed portion of said belt means from said recovery portion thereof;   means for applying fresh water near said ramp means upper end above said trough means so that water continually flows down said operational belt surface notwithstanding belt means rotation;   whereby unwanted materials including sands and water move down said belt means for discharge at the lower end of said ramp means, and concentrated gold-bearing fines are concurrently deflected to said recovery portion of said belt surface for conveyance to said upper end of said ramp means; and,   hopper means for recovering concentrated gold, said hopper means disposed adjacent the upper end of said ramp means; and,   shaker means for vibrating said ramp means to aid in the separation and purification of gold fines.   
     
     
       16. The machine as defined in claim 15 including means for spraying said belt means proximate said hopper means to remove gold ore from said belt thereby cleaning same. 
     
     
       17. The machine as defined in claim 16 including: elongated, rigid skid means adapted to be disposed upon a supporting surface such as an appropriate spot on the ground or the like;   frame means for mounting said ramp means, said frame means coupled to said skid means with bearing means to permit vibrations;   means for coupling said ramp means to said frame means so as to define a generally acute angle between said ramp means and said frame means, said coupling means permitting adjustments to the height of said ramp means to facilitate variations in said acute angle; and,   shaker means for vibrating said frame means and thus said ramp means during machine operation.   
     
     
       18. The ore recovery machine as defined in claim 17 wherein said bearings are configured to permit horizontal vibrations to said ramp means but to prohibit up and down vibrations.